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A review by jessicaxmaria
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I was only two years old when the Challenger space shuttle broke apart in 1986. Yet it’s an event that I learned about growing up, and I understood as a major tragedy. When I heard there was a book released about the disaster I put it on hold at my local library in June. This was bolstered by my reading of Lance Olsen’s fiction novel SKIN ELEGIES in May, which features many different storylines, but one in particular thread is a rundown of the 73 seconds in the Challenger cabin between lift-off and dismantlement. I was spurred to get into the facts, and Adam Higginbotham provides immense and intricate detail, and a whole new understanding.
There’s what is generally well known about the disaster, and then there is what is shocking to learn in this book. Higginbotham’s research dives deep not only into the time around the explosion, but NASA history that led to that moment. It’s angering and sad to realize that several people made terrible decisions over years, months, weeks, and that actual morning, which culminated in the death of seven astronauts. At times it was an emotional read. Particularly with what the reader knows going into the book, and the chronological unfolding of the events. The details about the planned celebrations with partners, friends, and children. The euphoric excitement by the astronauts and their close ones.
The crucial human details are here, but the book does not skim on science. Higginbotham brings the reader (presumably, like me, not well versed in physics, rocket science, etc.) along on what the technical issues the engineers were facing that led to failure. I didn’t come away an expert, but I felt like I learned a lot from reading this. Having a better understanding of the mechanics has given me a new appreciation for space launches.
Higginbotham brings so much humanity to the technical. This is not a cold book, and the reader can feel the gravity on each page. I wept reading the epilogue with its various testimonies. The Challenger’s legacy contains lessons that should never be forgotten. A depressing account in many ways, but riveting.
There’s what is generally well known about the disaster, and then there is what is shocking to learn in this book. Higginbotham’s research dives deep not only into the time around the explosion, but NASA history that led to that moment. It’s angering and sad to realize that several people made terrible decisions over years, months, weeks, and that actual morning, which culminated in the death of seven astronauts. At times it was an emotional read. Particularly with what the reader knows going into the book, and the chronological unfolding of the events. The details about the planned celebrations with partners, friends, and children. The euphoric excitement by the astronauts and their close ones.
The crucial human details are here, but the book does not skim on science. Higginbotham brings the reader (presumably, like me, not well versed in physics, rocket science, etc.) along on what the technical issues the engineers were facing that led to failure. I didn’t come away an expert, but I felt like I learned a lot from reading this. Having a better understanding of the mechanics has given me a new appreciation for space launches.
Higginbotham brings so much humanity to the technical. This is not a cold book, and the reader can feel the gravity on each page. I wept reading the epilogue with its various testimonies. The Challenger’s legacy contains lessons that should never be forgotten. A depressing account in many ways, but riveting.